Herman miller



n5 Model.)

- H. MILLER.- 4 S-olderingApparatus.

Patented June 21,1881.

& Pains. Muubanplw- Washinflun, a:

I UNITED 'STATES PATENT GFFICE.

HERMAN MILLER, OF NEYV YORK, N. Y.

S'OLDERING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 243,287, dated June 21, .1881.

Application filed March 5, 1881. (No model.)

? ing the corner seams of sheet-metal cans, especially square cans, in which the can to be soldered is moved past and has its seam which is to be soldered immersed or passed through a stationary solder-vessel,or first in an acid or flux vessel and thenin a solder-vessel, and

subsequently, if desirable, in a water-vessel, for cooling.

In the machine or apparatus for which were granted to me Letters Patent- No. 190,888, dated May 15, 1877, the cans are inserted in holders which travel in a circular path past several series of acid, solder, and watervessels, equal in number to the number of sides which the cans have, and through which the corners of the cans are passed, and the rising-andfalling movement necessary to immerse the cans in the vessels, and to raise them in passing from one vessel to another, is imparted to the can-holders by a sinuous track, upon which said holders bear. In my present invention, which constitutes a more simple apparatus, and yet admits of the employment of unskilled labor, the cans are not inserted in holders, but are supported upon a stationary rail or track, which extends through or over the vessels, and which comprises raised portions at the points where the cans are transferred from one vessel to another; and upon this rail or track the cans are so supported that their corners may be immersed to the proper depth while they are moved over the said track, either by hand or by simple mechanical devices, such as endless belts with attached pushers.

The invention consists in the combination, with a solder-vessel, of a track or rail upon which the corner of a can may rest and be moved along, and which is arranged below the surface-line of the solder, and comprises raised portions at the ends of the vessel for lowering the cans into and raising them out of the vessel.

It also consists in the combination, with the solder-vessel and a track or rail for supporting the can with one of its corners immersed in the solder, of guide-rails upon each side of said supporting track or rail, along which the cans are to be moved, and one of which may be provided with a projecting stop, against which the lower edge or corner of the can strikes and is held while the can is turned over to present a new seam for soldering. The cans, as hereinbefore mentioned, might be moved past and through the several vessels by hand; but I prefer to move them by machinery. t The invention also consists in the combination, with a series of vessels and a track or rail arranged below the surface-line of the contents of said vessels, upon which the cans are supported and moved along, and which comprises elevated portions between the vessels, of an endless belt or band, to which are attached pushers, which act upon the cans and move them forward past the several vessels and along the said track' or rail. v The invention also consists in novel details of construction and combinations of parts, to be hereinafter described. i In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 represents a side view of a portion of an apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of the several vessels, with the railover which the cans are moved and the side guiderails; and Fig. 3 represents a transverse vertical section upon the dotted line .60 as, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

' y A designates the cans to be soldered, and

13,0, and D designate, respectively, an acid or flux vessel, a solder-vessel, and a water or cooling vessel, which I will first describe. These three vessels form a series adapted for soldering a single seam, and if. the-fourbottom or top seams of a rectangular can are to be soldered, there should be four series of vessels. The soldervessel 0 has beneath it a fire-place, which is supplied with air by a blastpipe, E, to which it is connected .bybran'ch.

pipes a, and from the fire-place the smoke and heated products of combustion pass through a flue, 1), into a chamber, B, below theacid-vcs sel, which is adjacent to the solder-vessel, and

thence out the smoke-pipe F. By this means the acid or flux vessel is heated, and the cans which pass through it before entering the solder-vessel are warmed sufficiently to. prevent them from. chilling the melted solder. The

IOC

water-vessel D. is supplied by a suitably-ar- 1 rail which nearly correspond in length to the.

lengths of the vessels are arranged below the surface-line of acid, solder, or water therein, and so much below the surface that a can supported by it would have its corner seam that it is desired to solder immersed or dipped to the proper depth. Between the several vessels are raised portions G of the track or rail G, which bridge over the space from one vessel to another, and serve to raise the cans out of onevesseland then to lower them into the next vessel. In order to steady thev cans in their movements, I provide guide-rails H, one on each side of the track or rail G, and between themthe can A fits loosely, as seen in Fig. 3, and is prevented from too great side movement as it is moved along the rail or track G. The guide-rails H do not confine the cans atall, but simply steady them as they arelmoved along, andenable the cans to be so moved by simply pushing them along.

Between the acid-vessel B and the adjacent solder-vessel G, opposite an elevated part of the track or rail, is a brush or brushes, (1, arranged adjacent to the track or rail G, and after being immersed in or passed through the acid or flux the can is moved past said brush or brushes, and the surplus acid is removed therefrom. The can A, being placed between the guide-rails H, with its corner-seam which is to be soldered resting upon the track or rail G, is pushed along by hand or by pushers, hereinafter described, first through the acid-vessel B and past the brush or brushes 61, then over the raised portion G of the track or rail G between the aeid-vessel and solder-vessel, whereby it is transferred from the former to the latter, thence through the solder-vessel and over the raised portion G between the solder-vessel and cooling-vessel D, whereby it is transferred to and through the cooling-vessel D. After passing from the cooling-vessel the lower front edge, which rests upon one of the guide-- rails H, strikes a stop, e, upon the said rail, and

is therebystopped, while pushing on the can tends to roll the can over, so as to bring a second seam to rest upon the railor track G, where? upon the operation is repeated with said second seam and successively with all four seams until all are soldered.

The guide-rails H. may have elevated por= tions H in them corresponding with the portion G! of the track or rail G; but this is not necessary, as they might be straight.

The cans might be pushed along the track or rail G by hand; but Iprefer to do it by machinery, and have here represented an endless belt, K, mounted on'pulleys L, and having attached to it arms M, which form pushers for pushing the cans along. Each series of three vessels should have a separate belt, K, in order to provide for more readily turning the cans when they strike the stop 6, without binding or cramping them, and the pulleys L and L, which carry the adjacent sections, may be mounted upon a single shaft, asseen in Fig. 3, side by side.

The apparatus might be employed for soldering the corner side seams as well as the bottom seams.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a solder-vessel, of a stationary track or rail, upon which the corner'of the can may bear and be moved-'alon g, and which is arranged below the surface-line of the solder, and comprises elevated portions at the ends of the vessel, whereby the. can is lowered into and raised out of the vessel, substantially as specified.

' 2. The combination, with a solder-vessel, of a track or rail upon which the edge of the can may. bear and be moved along, which'is arrangedbelow the surface-line of the solder, and comprises elevated portions at the ends of the vessel, and guide-rails arranged one upon each side of and above said track or rail, substantially as and for the purpose specifled.

3. The combination, with series of vessels, of a track or rail upon which the cans may be supported and be moved along, and which is arranged below the surface-line of the acid andv solder, and comprises elevated portions between the vessels for transferring the cans from one vessel to' another, and guide-rails, one upon each side of and above said track or rail, substantially as specified.

4. The combination, with seriesof vessels, of a track or rail upon which the cans may be supported and bemoved along, and which comprises elevated portionsbet-Ween the vessels, and stationary stops arranged in thc'path of the cans for turning the cans, substantially as specified.

5. Thecombination,inasoldering apparatus, with series-of acid and solder vessels, of a cansupporting track or rail comprising .elevated portions between the vessels, and an endless belt traveling in line with said track or rail, and carryingpushers for moving the cans along, substantially as specified.

6. The combination,in a solderingapparatus, with severalseries of vessels, of a continuous track or rail elevated between the vessels, stationary stops arranged in the path of the cans, and endless belts, one for each series of vessels, carrying pushers for moving the cans, substantially as specified.

HERMAN MILLEP.

\Vitnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES, E1) GLATZMAYER. 

